Before the storm
by fairytaleofdust
Summary: based on the ending of the episode Business as usual - not taking into account what happened in Sins of the fathers.  So many things have happened, but the day was not over. not yet.


Duke left her at the Grey Gull after spending a long time trying to make sense out of all the things that had happened today. From meeting Lucy Ripley to all those things in that box Simon Crocker had hid inside Duke's boat, Audrey felt like the more she knew, the less she could figure out.

She sat on the bed and reemembered all the other things that happened that day. Stu, All that hate against troubled people, all the things the Rev had preached and now the people of Haven would make sure not to disappear with his death. Her fault. One more reason not to be on the strange Audrey PArker's side.

It was all falling apart, she thought, while going under the sheets. Everything would just get harder. It was a war now.

She closed her eyes, and the images of all the things she had seen since she arrived in Haven flashed inside her head. All the stories, all the things she found out she could do. And the first thing she saw when she arrived there.

Audrey didn't even think twice. She got up, put on her shoes, and went away.

Nathan couldn't sleep. He was still thinking of everything that had happened that day. Finally, he said it. He told her. Was he right to do it? But then she said she felt the same. And the kiss. What was that? Was it just because he had found Lucy Ripley's address? She didn't come back to talk about it. The day ended, and he still didn't know.

The doorbell sounded too loud for that time of night, and his heart skipped a beat. He got up off the couch and went to the door, stopping to get a gun from a drawer. Halfway the bell rang again, twice, impatient. He reached for the knob with one hand, while the other held firmly the gun, and asked " who's there?"

"Nathan? Open up, it's cold" her voice came from the outside. He lowered the gun and opened the door.

There she was, Audrey, wearing just a night gown. "She should be wearing a coat, it's cold tonight." said his fatherly side of his brain to himself. But he didn't say it out loud.

" hi" she smiled, folding her arms, showing that she was cold. He couldn't feel it, but he knew it was there.

"so, how was it? With Lucy?" he asked, and instantly regretted it. " what? Invite her in, fetch her a blanket, she's cold! Offer a cup of tea, or coffee, or cocoa. Or better, hold her in your arms and kiss her properly! What's wrong with you?"

She seemed to be asking the same questions inside her mind, but she just answered." well, it was weird. She said she'd been expecting me. That I told her, 27 years ago, that i was having her memories, and i would be back. And there's something about Duke's father. He went to see her. He was looking for me"

" looking for you? Why?"

" he wanted to kill me. He sent a message to Duke, he just found it on his boat. His father is telling him to kill me. We don't know why" that last part seemed to avoid an obvious question and try to stop with the chattering. Audrey was this type of girl. " won't you invite me in?"

Nathan opened the door wider to let her in and instantly reached for a blanket to cover her. She didn't get it. Instead she hold his face while looking deeply into is eyes, and he knew exactly what to do. Talk later. And he kissed her.

They climbed the stairs awkwardly while neither wanted to let go of each other's arms, and then quickly found the way to the bedroom. He held her back while they both fell onto the bed, as if trying to protect her of the fall, and she locked her legs around his waist. It was all so amazing, Nathan thought. He could feel her. He could feel every inch of her gorgeous body on his fingertips, and her lips on his, eager lips. He stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes, and then smiled. It was the happiest moment of his life.

Two shots. Duke knew that that sound was of shots, even though it was far away. He got up and went to the deck. Then another shot and a flash gave away the origin of the sounds. His Grey Gull. The apartment upstairs. "Audrey" he screamed. He reached for a gun and ran as fast as he could.

While climbing up the stairs he couldn't hear anything else. All there was was silence and darkness. Was the invader still there? Were those shots from his gun? Maybe it was Audrey's. Yes, she's smart like that. Maybe she shot the invader.

He entered the room feeling a mix of relief for this thought and apprehension, one hand holding his gun up high while the other looked for the lights.

He turned it on, and the room was illuminated. Empy. No sign of invader, nowhere, not on the ground bleeding, nowhere. He went for her bed. No one. Empy. Only three bullet holes on the pillow, and the feathers still flying.

From the window, Nathan could see that the sun was beginning to shine. He didn't sleep. He couldn't. He wanted to enjoy that moment. He was feeling the weight of her head on his shoulder, and the warmth of her breath rhythmically on his chest. He was stroking her head, feeling her hair through his fingers.

His cellphone vibrated on the bedside table. Trying hard not to wake her, he reached for it. It was Duke.

"what makes you call me at this hour?"

" Nathan." Duke sounded aprehensive. "are you okay?"

Okay? I'm more than okay. I'm perfect! - he wanted to say, but he didn't know how Audrey wanted to reveal them to the city, so he just said "yeah. Why?"

" do you know where Audrey is?"

"she's at her apartment, probably" he lied.

At this moment Audrey woke up and smiled. He signaled that it was Duke on the phone, and that he was looking for her. She made a signal for him not to tell Duke anything, and both laughed.

" nathan, she's not here. I'm at her apartment, i left her here last night, and she's not here".

"oh really?" nathan wasn't even trying to sound surprised. Audrey laughed, and started kissing his neck. " maybe she woke up early"

"i know she didn't okay, she just disappeared"

" Duke, c'mon" she was now trying to close his phone, and they were both laughing when Nathan heard Duke say " someone was here last night. They tried to kill her. There are three bullets on her pillow, they must have thought she was here."

The laugh became panic, and Audrey asked " what?" loud enough for Duke to hear. " wait. Is she there with you? Nathan!"

Nathan hung up the phone, still looking worried, and said." Duke knows, but that's the least of our problems."


End file.
